6 Best Pool Test Strips for Keeping Your Pool Crystal-Clean

Michael Butler
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The NuvoPool’s pool-testing strips are the fastest, easiest and most accurate way to test your pool water. They monitor contaminants, pH and total hardness for Crystal Clear water.

They’re ideal for pools, spas, spas, hot tubs, ponds, medical or public facilities. The kit comes complete with everything needed to save your time, or money spent buying test kits.

Just dip a pool water test strip in your pool or spa water, after swimming or if you need to determine when it’s time for a chemical treatment. For most in-home pools or spas, it takes only 10 seconds for these pool water test strips to provide you a reliable reading.

Get your NuvoPool’s Crystal Clear Pool-Testing Strips here.

NameCategoryProduct
Aquachek 561161 Swimming Pool White Salt Titrators Test Kit StripsBest OverallAquachek 561161 Swimming Pool White Salt Titrators Test Kit Strips
Clorox Pool&Spa My Pool Care AssistantBudget PickClorox Pool&Spa My Pool Care Assistant
AquaChek 2 Red Swimming Pool Spa Test Kit Strips Bromine pH Alkalinity 50 PackUpgrade PickAquaChek 2 Red Swimming Pool Spa Test Kit Strips Bromine pH Alkalinity 50 Pack

1. Aquachek 561161 Swimming Pool White Salt Titrators Test Kit Strips

Our rating: 9 / 10

Aquachek 561161 Swimming Pool White Salt Titrators Test Kit Strips

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Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Easy to read test strip
  • Affordable
  • It shows results within seconds

Cons:

  • Results are only accurate if the sample is taken correctly.
  • There is no way to add the total chlorine in the water from using these strips. You will need to use a total chlorine test kit for that.

In this day and age where we are all well aware of the necessity of water purification from all manner of pollutants, pool owners are paying more attention to the cleanliness of their pool water.

Since you know that regular water testing is a must, it is important to choose a product that is accurate, affordable, and easy to use. The Aquachek 561161 Swimming Pool White Salt Titrators Test Kit Strips, 40 Count is an economical, white, titrating method test strip for swimming pools that are simple to use, accurate and reliable.

Titration test strips are used to determine the levels of total chlorine in water. You can use these strips to test the total chlorine in either your pool or hot tub or spa. These strips will provide results in 10 minutes or less and are easy to read.

2. AquaChek 541604A Select Kit Test Strip

Our rating: 9 / 10

AquaChek 541604A Select Kit Test Strip

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Pros:

  • Solid Construction
  • Affordable
  • Contains A Lot of Strips For Measuring
  • Test Strips Are Completely Waterproof

The AquaChek 54160 Award Winning Swimming Pool Test Strip is ideal for all kinds of swimming pools and spas, including the necessary tests for water balance, pH, total alkalinity, free chlorine, total hardness, cyanuric acid, and bromine.

The only drawback is the method by which you have to test the pool. For a large pool with average chlorine levels, you will need two test strips because chlorine levels need to be measured in the water at two different points during the day to guarantee accuracy.

3. AquaChek 2 Red Swimming Pool Spa Test Kit Strips Bromine pH Alkalinity 50 Pack

Our rating: 9 / 10

AquaChek 2 Red Swimming Pool Spa Test Kit Strips Bromine pH Alkalinity 50 Pack

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Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Contain several testing strips in each kit, meaning you'll have a few stores of them on hand
  • Can test strip your pools levels in the comfort of your own home
  • Each pool testing strip has 10 tests available with them.

Cons:

  • May be more expensive than other pool testing strips
  • Some customers have issues with getting the strips to re-close properly and find that they leak and dry out

The AquaChek 2 Red Bath/Pool/Spa Test Strips make testing your pool's levels a breeze. Sponsored by the National Swimming Pool Foundation and endorsed by the International Swimming Hall of Fame, these test strips have been used to test over 20 million pools.

Honestly these test strips are amazing. I've tried various methods to find what nutrient levels my pool is at and these strips are the only ones that have made it simple for me to find out. They're cheap and super easy to use.

Simply dip them in your pool water, compare the colors on them to the chart that comes with the package, and you'll know exactly what your levels are at and how to correct them.

4. JNW Direct Pool and Spa Test Strips

Our rating: 8 / 10

JNW Direct Pool and Spa Test Strips

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Pros:

  • More reliable than manually testing
  • Testing takes only 60 seconds
  • Free app and ebook included
  • Quick and easy test for pH, chlorine, bromine, hardness, alkalinity, cyanuric acid and more

Cons:

  • Best used in private pools
  • Can be hard to read
  • Instructions are not always easy for beginners to understand

Did you know you can test your pool’s water chemistry using only a clamp, some test strips and a plastic cup? It’s true!

These are the strips you want for your pool. They will tell you everything that you need to know about your water from your pool’s temperature to the water’s pH level. These accurate tests are sure to give you peace of mind, knowing that you have tested your water at least once.

These strips are the perfect solution for parents who want to make sure their kids are swimming in clean water, as well as people who own hot tubs and spas.

5. Clorox Pool&Spa My Pool Care Assistant

Our rating: 8 / 10

Clorox Pool&Spa My Pool Care Assistant

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This product is perfect for testing your pool’s chlorine levels -— for a low cost per test! The CLOROX Pool & Spa My Pool Care Assistant test strip not only accurately tests your pool’s chlorine levels but also measures the total alkalinity as well.

The pool test strips are easy to use, even for a beginner. Simply wet your test strip and insert them into your pool water. Wait for a few minutes and then match the color of the test strip to the color indicator on the bottle. The product gives you a permanent color-matched chart to use to compare your next test results.

6. AKARUED Pool Test Strips 100 Count

Our rating: 7 / 10

AKARUED Pool Test Strips 100 Count

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Pros:

  • This product works with all standard swimming pools, spas, hot tubs, etc
  • One of the least expensive on the market

This set of six test strips designed for pools, spas, spas, and hot tubs contains everything you have to swim to enjoy your water safely.

You can enjoy all the treats that your pool can offer without worrying about chlorine or other chemicals and baking soda. Using this product also helps to:

Convert bromine from free bromine or bromine to combined bromine which reduces problems that can be caused by free bromine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are pool test strips accurate?

Test strips for the water of your pool, especially in the pool or spa, are increasingly becoming the most popular way for most people to balance the pool or spa water. Using these test strips is a cheap and easy way to test the water on a regular basis.

Pool owners should maintain their pool and spa water regularly to avoid accidents and to ensure that the water does not get out of balance. Pool/spa water is usually made of chlorine. But, sometimes due to possible manufacturing flaws, the chlorine level may increase too much. That is when it is time to check the chlorine levels of the pool or spa water with the use of a pool test kit.

How do you read pool test strip results?

Pool test strips let us know:

  • Your pool’s chlorine level.
  • The total dissolved solids in your water.
  • The pH of your water.
  • If you have low/high levels of minerals in your water.
  • The free chlorine or bromine in your water.
  • The total alkalinity or acidity of your pool.

Pool test strips do not test for water hardness (total hardness), which is calculated based on the levels of total dissolved solids in your water. They will, however, tell you if there are high levels of minerals.

What are the best pool test strips?

Finding the best test strips for swimming pools is important for maintaining a clean and healthy pool.

Pools require regular maintenance and a good set of test strips is a vital part of that maintenance.

The best swimming pool test strips should be easy to use, easy to read, accurate and durable. While there are a lot of test strips out there, the top ones all meet those criteria.

A combination of chlorine and pH, you can monitor the most important water test in your pool at one time. With strips that last for up to 50 tests, there is everything you need to keep up with your pool. They are as quick and easy to use as traditional test strips, and provide accurate and fast results.

How can I test my pool water without a kit?

The problem with using a kit for testing your pool water is that they give labs the ability to sanitize their test results in a way. If you test your water using a kit and it reads your pool water as acceptable, it means the test kit has been sanitized and won’t give you a false sense of security.

The difference with a test strip is that it displays results almost instantaneously and are less prone to interference from the balance in your pool.

Conclusion

If you suspect your pool’s water may be starting to go bad and you want to find out for sure, test strips are a great way to get this information quickly and easily. We’re going to help you learn about the different kinds of test strips, plus go over an easy way to use test strips that you can use to monitor your pool’s water quality.

Our Recommendation

NameCategoryProduct
Aquachek 561161 Swimming Pool White Salt Titrators Test Kit StripsBest OverallAquachek 561161 Swimming Pool White Salt Titrators Test Kit Strips
Clorox Pool&Spa My Pool Care AssistantBudget PickClorox Pool&Spa My Pool Care Assistant
AquaChek 2 Red Swimming Pool Spa Test Kit Strips Bromine pH Alkalinity 50 PackUpgrade PickAquaChek 2 Red Swimming Pool Spa Test Kit Strips Bromine pH Alkalinity 50 Pack